Talley-Ho Luncheon

It's no secret that I love horses and that I love an equestrian decor.

I have many of those elements in my home.  I also think an

equestrian theme works so well with tartan.  

Yesterday,  an idea for an equestrian tablescape popped into my head.

I thought it would be fun to combine the more rustic with the more

refined.  Cut crystal, wicker charger and our pearl handled flatware

work together to create an eclectic and friendly setting.

Crafty Mr Fox is on center stage as well as on this metal tag

hanging off the grapevine napkin ring.  

I love these horse brasses on a leather strap atop the tartan.  I can 

imagine finding them in an old English country house which is a look

I really love.

Y'all have a great Thursday and thanks for stopping by!

Tablescape Thursday

Thoughts of Home Thursday

Home Sweet Home

Feathering Your Nest

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

A favorite Autumn Memory

Years ago, when I was in my teens, one fall afternoon a friend and I took

our horses to a forest preserve for an after school ride.  It was a day that

lives in my memory.  A crisp cool afternoon that was cool enough to need

a sweater, yet the sun filtering though the red and golden leaves warmed

our skin.   

As we trotted through the paths that wound through the forest, I could

hear the the sound of crunching leaves under my horse's hooves.  My

friend and I did not speak.  We were just enjoying the calm and

peaceful sounds of that afternoon in the woods.  

Eventually we reached a meadow which was the signal to shift the

gait from trot to canter and then to a gallop.  The sun was shining

down upon us and my sweet horse and I were as one speeding

along under the golden sun.  Free!

As we reached the path that led us back to the stable, I knew

even then that the memory of this glorious afternoon would live

forever in my heart and that there would never be another

afternoon in Autumn quite so memorable.

Thanks for listening.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Romantic Pumpkins

Who says that pumpkins can't be romantic?  They don't all have to

be orange and they can find themselves somewhere other than

a pumpkin patch.  

Like this!

Be Inspired

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Sunday in My Studio

I had a very good night's sleep last night and woke up feeling so much

better this morning.  I decided to just continue to take it easy today

despite the feeling that I can do anything.  David is playing in the 

Bluebonnet Golf Tournament today and tomorrow, so Bentley and I

are on our own and just hanging out together.

When I head to my studio, I put on my favorite music.  At the 

moment I am listening to the soundtrack from the movie Little Women.

I have always been so influenced by music and whatever I listen to 

really changes my mood.  Does music affect you this way too?

Color influences me too.  I am not a neutral girl.  Too much brown,

beige or gray makes me feel sad after a while.  Lately I have been

loving yellow.  

I have been finding more ways to incorporate yellow into the color

scheme of my studio.  I always want this space to feel happy and

cheery.  I have some vintage yellow pillowcases that I want to 

turn into throw pillows.  

When I found this little yellow chick at a thrift shop years ago, I didn't 

have any yellow in my color scheme at the time, but could not pass 

him up.  Suddenly he feels right at home.

Thank you for all your kind words regarding my Fibromyalgia battle.

I hate feeling sorry for myself, but yesterday I was.  Today things are

looking up and I will survive.  Wait, I know I have a CD with that 

song on it somewhere ;-)

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

My Struggle With Fibromyalgia

Today is not a good day for me.  It's not the weather, because it is 

beautiful outside.  The best weather we have experienced in months.

Yet, it's hard to me to get out there and enjoy it right now because I 

am having a Fibromyalgia flare-up.  It's probably the worst flare-up

I have ever had.  I have been fortunate because the last one was

two and one half years ago after my Mom died.

I was originally diagnosed years ago, before I was married.  The 

townhouse I was living in was struck by lightning during a summer

storm.  It burned to the ground while I was at work leaving me

homeless and left with just the clothes on my back and my car.

The car was stolen from a Houston shopping parking lot two

weeks later while I was inside a Target store buying household

items for my new apartment.

My world had fallen apart and I fell apart physically too.  I

went to a doctor who could find nothing wrong with me 

despite my panic attacks, and pain all over my body and

the most debilitating headaches and fatigue.  He came to the

conclusion that I had Fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is not a disease, it is a syndrome that leaves it's victim 

suffering with pain throughout the body.  It doesn't affect the joints like

arthritis does, but rather deep muscle tissue.  It can be a dull ache or 

sometimes a stabbing pain.  It often causes stiffness and limits ease of

mobility.  It disrupts sleep especially when sleep is needed.   Researchers

have show that during a flare-up the brain activity during sleep increases

so the sufferer is not getting the deep sleep needed to maintain a

healthy body.  During a flare-up, I wake up in the morning feeling  

almost more tired and achey than when I went to sleep.

There is no cure for this syndrome.  Hopefully this current flare-up

will not last too much longer, or at least will become less intense.

As I said, the last flare-up was two and one half years ago and when

I am symptom free, I am a very energetic person.  Right now I have

so little energy.  Yesterday when I went to the grocery store I could

hardly wait to finish and get home again.  I was exhausted.

All I can do now is take care not to over do and to try to get a

good night's sleep.  I am praying that this will come to an end

soon and that I can return to the life I love.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley